India Batting Coach Vikram Rathour Reacts Strongly to Virat Kohli’s Poor Form: ‘I’m Not Happy, If he Scores…’

Team India's batting coach Vikram Rathour spoke in detail about Virat Kohli's poor form ahead of the side's match against Bangladesh.

New Delhi: Team India has had an undefeated run at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 so far, However, a lingering concern throughout the tournament has been the star batter Virat Kohli’s struggle to score runs. While India successfully topped thir group with victories against Ireland, Pakistan and USA, and also delivered a masterclass to cruise past Afghanistan in their opening Super 8 match, Kohli has struggled in all four innings in the Tournament so far.

In the group stage, Kohli failed to breach double figures as the batter only scored five runs in three innings. On Friday against Afghanistan, Kohli made a cautious start to his innings but was dismissed as he attempted to accelerate, managing a run-a-ball 24. The Indian batting icon has been opening the innings with Rohit Sharma, a role he had only undertaken once for India in T20Is prior to the ongoing World Cup. However, he brings considerable experience in this position from his successful stints in the Indian Premier League.

Team India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour reflected on Virat Kohli’s poor batting form ahead of the side’s second match in the Super Eight stage against Bangladesh. According to Rathour, Kohli has been “challenged”, but his lean run is allowing the less experienced players to step up and win the matches for the team.

“I’m not happy. I would love it if he gets going and scores more runs,” Rathour said when asked about the team’s unbeaten run in the event without Kohli’s contribution.

“But yeah, it is good when you are challenged at times. You know, the guys who are not getting too much of batting in India sometimes, they are the ones who put up scores today and our middle-order came to play. So, it was good to see,” he said.

Kohli, India’s top run-scorer in the last T20 World Cup, is expected to rise to the occasion in the remainder of the Super Eight. The team especially needs him to shine in the highly anticipated showdown against Australia on Monday.

Bangladesh are coming into the game after a loss to Australia and are one of the easier teams in the tournament. But Rathour said India will not leave anything to chance.

“They’re a good unit. They have a lot of guys who can spin the ball and they are good in certain conditions. And these conditions do suit them a little as a team I think because the wickets seem to have a bit of help for the spinners and they do have spinners in their team.

“But again, in this format I think every team is a tough team. I don’t believe any contest in T20 cricket is an easy contest,” he said.